Denver Cutthroats defenseman Sean Zimmerman originally hails from Littleton and gives the team a strong local connection. (Seth McConnell, The Denver Post)

When the Denver Cutthroats were formed prior to the 2012-13 season, management made an effort to have some local players on the team. It turns out that was just what Sean Zimmerman needed.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 220 pound defenseman was tired of bouncing around the American Hockey League and contemplated giving up on his professional career. But head coach Derek Armstrong gave him a chance to come home.

“The last couple of years in the American League I had been traded a bunch. When I had the opportunity to play back home and live where I grew up, it was a big selling point for me,” Zimmerman said.

Armstrong said he assured Zimmerman that he would enjoy playing for him and now he considers him a key piece on the team.

Matt Duchene of Canada is defended by Jonathan Ericsson of Sweden during the first period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Sochi Winter Olympics on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014 at Bolshoy Ice Arena. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

We have an Avalanche pre-practice online story about Matt Duchene returning to the Colorado ice with all but two of his teammates. Fellow Olympians Gabe Landeskog (Sweden) and Paul Stastny (U.S.) were at the facility but did not practice. I spoke with Stastny privately because he was not officially available, but he will go on-camera after Wednesday’s morning skate, in preparation for the ensuing game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Pepsi Center. Goalie Semyon Varlamov (Russia) rejoined the team Monday.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.